The present invention relates to a telephony exchange, a computer program product and a method for controlling a telephone call between two items of terminating equipment.
Telephony exchanges increasingly include more and more functionality enabling users of terminating equipment connected to such exchanges to more easily connect and communicate with other users. For example, to prevent users having to repeatedly enter a number, which they need to repeatedly dial, many phones include a programmable re-dial function key. After making a call, a user can press this key to cause the exchange to re-dial the number. (In the case of phone sets connected to public switched telephone network (PSTN) exchanges, this functionality may in fact be built into the phone set which stores the last dialed number.)
Another feature is xe2x80x9cCall Back Requestxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cRing Againxe2x80x9d. Again this feature is generally associated with a programmable function key on a phone set connected to a PBX (Private Branch Exchange), which the user presses after connecting to a phone which is engaged. The exchange detects when the called user releases the engaged phone, and then establishes a call between the called user and the user who sought a call back request, by calling both users and then connecting them when they answer their respective phones.
Voice mail is also becoming ubiquitous, enabling callers to leave messages either: when a called user""s line(s) is engaged; when the called user is not logged onto a phone; or when the called user is away from their desk or not answering the phone. In the first two cases, a caller is usually diverted to the called person""s mailbox immediately whereas in the latter case, the called person""s phone rings a number of times, before the caller is eventually diverted to the called person""s mailbox.
Voice mail is usually indicated by a light flashing on a user""s phone and is picked up by pressing a programmable function key on the phone. On pressing the key, the user may be required to input a password after which they are usually able to browse interactively through any messages in their mailbox by selecting options from a keypad or even through voice interaction.
If a caller feels a call is important, then it may not be satisfactory to leave a message when the called person""s phone for whatever reason rings out and diverts the caller to the mailbox. Presently, the caller can then only continually re-try the number (perhaps using the re-dial button) until the called person answers. This may, however, result in the caller being diverted to the called person""s mailbox a number of times and so unnecessarily clogging the mailbox. It also means that the caller is occupied with re-dialing the number until the call is answered.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a telephony exchange for establishing a telephone call between a calling item and a called item of terminating equipment, said called item of terminating equipment being associated with a mailbox to which calls to said called item of terminating equipment meeting a criterion are diverted, said exchange comprising: a first detector, responsive to a signal from a calling item of terminating equipment, for determining that a party employing said calling item wishes to employ automatic dialling of a called item; a second detector arranged to determine said criterion which, if met, causes a call to said called item to be diverted to a mailbox; and an automatic dialling component, responsive to said first detector determining that said party employing said calling item wishes to employ automatic dialling, arranged to attempt to establish a call to said called item in a manner which prevents said criterion from being met.
In a second aspect there is provided a method for controlling a telephone call between a calling item and a called item of terminating equipment, said called item of terminating equipment being associated with a mailbox to which calls to said called item of terminating equipment meeting a criterion are diverted, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a signal from the calling item indicating that a user of the calling item wishes to employ automatic dialling of a called item; determining said criterion which, if met, causes a call to said called item to be diverted to a mailbox; and automatically attempting to establish a call to said called item in a manner which prevents said criterion from being met.
In a third aspect there is provided a computer program product for controlling a telephone call between a calling item and a called item of terminating equipment, said called item of terminating equipment being associated with a mailbox to which calls to said called item of terminating equipment meeting a criterion are diverted, said computer program product being arranged to: receive a signal from the calling item of terminating equipment indicating that a party employing said calling item wishes to employ automatic dialling of a called item; determine said criterion which, if met, causes a call to said called item to be diverted to a mailbox; and automatically attempt to establish a call to said called item in a manner which prevents said criterion from being met.